Fluid pressure control mechanism for vehicle steering gear



July 29, 'W. AJEA TON FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE STEERING GEAR Filed Oct. 21, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 g \Q S a m o N E l Q a a g 58% o a a 8 8* 0 *2 g %%3 Y i.

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FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE STEERING GEAR Filed. Oct. 21, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm g s INVEN TOR.

ATTDRNBS Patented July 29, 1947 UNITED STATES, PATENT FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR VEHICLE STEERING GEAR Wilfred A. Eaton, Elyria, Ohio, assignor Bendix-Westinghouse Automotive Air Brake Company, Elyria, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application October 21', 1943, Serial No. 507,205

This invention relates to fluid pressure control mechanism, and more particularly to power or fluid operated mechanism for steering road vehicles.

Mechanisms of the type enerally illustrated in connection with the present inventionhave been previously utilized with considerable success, but difficulty has been encountered in some particuiarinstallations due to the tendency of the mechanism to set up a. reciprocating orshimmy action of the steering wheels of the ,ve-

hicle, and it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide means for overcoming sure of fluid supplied to the steering gear when Y the vehicle is moving in substantially a straight path in order to eliminate the undesired re ciprocation.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for insuring an adequate supply of fluid pressure to the steering mechanism when the vehicle is turning.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable mechanism for limiting the pressure of fluid supplied to the steering gear to a desired value. I

The above and other objects and novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following-detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein there is illustrated one embodiment of the invention. It is to. be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein similar reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in section of a mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention"; j

12 Claims. (01. lat-79.2)

Fig. 2 is a partial top view or some of the. parts shown in Fig. 1, and illustrates the control valve operating mechanism utilized in the present invention, and v Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of certam-parts f the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the present invention is illustrated therein as ineluding a manually operable means or shaft d, which may be rotated by any suitable operatorcontrolled means, not shown, and which is con nected by means, hereinafter to be described in more detail, to a drag link 5 forming a part of the steering mechanism usually provided on motor vehicles, said drag link being suitably connected to the diriglble wheelsof the motor vehicle by connections, not shown, in order to steer the latter in either direction.

A lever 6 is suitably secured to the shaft t for rotation therewith, the opposite end of the lever being pivotally connectedby means of a pivot pin 1 with the lower end of an intermediate lever 8,

the upper end of the lever 8 being provided with ahub portion 9 concentrically surrounding and spaced from the shaft 4. The intermediate lever is also connected by means of a pivot pin it with a power operated lever H, which is mounted for rotation on the right end of the shaft d, the lever being maintained in the position shown by means of the lever H is provided with a ball joint H which is connected with the drag link 5 in a conventional manner in order to impart motion thereto. Power-operation of the lever ii is provided, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1, by

means of a fluid actuator I8 having a cylinder i9 and a piston 20 slidably mounted therein. The piston is provided on the left side with a tubular member 2| sli'dably mounted in a bore 22 formed in a cover plate 23 which serves t close the left end of the cylinder. leakage past the tubular member being prevented by means of a seal 24. The right and left ends of the cylinder are provided with fluid pressure supply passages 25 and 26 as shownpthese passages being connected with a suitable control valve mechanism 21, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The piston is connected with the lever it by means of a suitable piston rod 28, the right end or the rod being connected with the piston by means of a pivot pin 29 and'the left end being connected with the lever by means of a pivot Pin 30. 3

The construction or the control valve 21 is more fully illustrated in Fig. 2, the valve mechanism comprising a-casing'- 3l,"and since the right and'leit portions"of .the valve mechanism are identical as shown,*1only the right-hand portion will be described indetail. The casing is formed with an inlet chamber 32 provided'with a Port as leading toan outletchainber 34; The outlet chamber is formed with'a cylinder wall 35 having a'pisto'n '36 'slidably mounted therein, the piston being provided with a suitable seal or cup 31 as shown in order to prevent leakage. Comr'nunication between the inlet chamber and outlet chamber is normally prevented by means of an inlet valve 38 normally maintainedin port-closing position by means of a spring 39 interposed between the lower face of the valve and the casing, the upper end of the valve being provided with an exhaust valve member 40 arranged substantially in alignment with the inlet valve as well as with a bore 4| formed in the piston. The piston defines in connection with the casing, an exhaust chamber 42, and the bore 4| is connected with the chamber by means of ports 43 formed in the piston, the chamber in turn being connected with atmosphere by means of passage 44 and an exhaust port 45, The piston is normally urged in an upward direction by means of a spring 48, and it will be understood that on downward movement of the piston, the exhaust valve will first engage the lower end oi the bore 4| preventing communication between the outlet chamber and the exhaust chamber, further downward movement of the piston serving to open the inlet valve in order to per-' mit communication between the inlet and outlet chambers through the inlet port 33. An oute let port 41 is provided in the wall of the outlet chamber as indicated, and this port is connected with the port 25 leading to the right end oi the cylinder l9 as illustrated in Fig. l. The upper end of the casing is provided with a centrally located bore 48 adapted to slidably receive an operating stem 49 formed on the upper end of th piston. In like manner, the left-hand portion of the valve is provided with an inlet chamber 50, an outlet chamber SI, and an exhaust chamber 52 connected with the port '45 through the passage 44, inlet and exhaust valves 63 and 54 being positioned in the same manner as the valves 38 and 40 in the right side of the valve. and serving to control the fiowof fluid pressure from the outlet chamber to the atmospheric port as well as from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber. An outlet port 55 is provided in the wall of the outlet chamber and is connected, as shown more fully in Fig. 1,.with the port 26 leading to the left end of the cylinder (9. A piston 55a, identical in construction with the piston 36, is provided in-the left-hand portion of the valve and is provided with an upwardly extending stem 58 for the purpose of operating the piston and valves. The piston stems 49 and 56 are operated by means of a rocker arm 51 pivotally mounted on the housing by means of a pivot pin 58, movement oi the rocker arm in a clockwise direction about the pin 58 serving to depress the right-hand piston rod to prevent communication between chambers 34 and 42, and to permit communication between the inlet 4 chamber 32 and the outlet chamber 34. In like manner,.movement of the rocker arm in a counterclockwise direction will serve to move the piston 55a downward to operatethe valves in order to prevent communication between the chambers 58 and 52 and-permit communication between the chambers 50 and 5|. With the rocker arm in neutral position, the valve mechanism is preferably so adjusted by means or adlusting screws 59 and 50 that the intake valves are both closed and the exhaust valves are both open as shown. Operation of the rocker arm is accomplished by means or a valve rod 6| connected with the rocker arm by'means of a suitable: ball joint, 62,; and connected at its left end with the upper end of the lever 8 by means of a bearing member 63threadedly connected with the "rod and mounted for rotation on a. bearing 1 portion '64 formed on the left sldeof the huh I as shown in Fig. 3.

Fluid pressure is supplied to the control valve mechanism'fl by means of a reservoir 65 adapted to be supplied with fluid pressure from a compressor, not shown, by means of a. conduit 88. A supply conduit 61 leads from the inlet chamber pi the right portion of the valve 2'! to a control valve mechanism 58', to be described hereinafter, the control valve mechanism in turn being supplied witl fluid pressure i'rom the reservoir 65 through a conduit 69. The left hand inlet valve is supplied with fluid pressure from the conduit 8'! by means of a conduit Ill interconnected therebetween. t

In the event the operator desires to move the drag link to the left as viewed in Fig. l, the shaft l is turned-in a clockwise direction by means of the'vehicle steering gear, not shown, whereupon the lower end of the lever 8 is moved to the left,

the lever B accordingly tending to rotate in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin l0 which is pivotally mounted in the lever l I, movement of the lever I I being opposed at this time by the drag link 5 connected to the steering wheels of the vehicle. Thus the lever B rotates in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin and the valve rod Si is moved to the right rotating the beam 51 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 58 as viewed in Fig. 2 in order to depress the stem 4. and operate the valve mechanism to prevent communlcation between the outlet chamber as and r the exhaust chamber 42 and to permit communicounterclockwise direction about the pivot pin 1 in order to initiate movement of the valve actuating rod 6! to the left. This action will'tend to permit closing of the inlet valve 38 in order to prevent the further flow of fluid pressure to the right end of the cylinder, and in the event the pressure in the right end of the cylinder tends to move the mechanism to a point beyond thatnecessary to close the inlet valve 28, further movement will open the exhaust valve 40 in order to permit the exhaust of excess pressure from the right end of the cylinder. Since the piston 38 is subjected at all times to the pressure in the outlet chamber 34, it will also be understood that essence portional to the fluid pressure acting on the piston 30, in view of the fact that the latter is connected with the lever 6 throughthe mechanism above I described. Theoperator isthus advised at all times of the relative force necessary to Operate the steering gear, as more fully explained in the :Dbtentto .Stephen Vorech and S. Johnson, Jr.,

No. 2,018,197, datedOctober 22, 1935.

During the operation of steering mechanisms of the above type, it has been found that the tendency toward reciprocation or shimmy has been most apparent when the-vehicle was proceeding in a, straight line, it was also further found in tests on this type of equipment that a reduction in the supply of pressure from the stood that with the parts in the position shown, the graduating spring 85 is so tensionerl as to establish a pressure in the outlet cher iii,

and consequently in the inlet chambers of the valve mechanism 27, which is sumcient to provide for limited power operation or the steering mechanism without, however, being suflicient to permit the reciprocating condition to be set up. On rotation of the lever B in either direction from neutral position, however, the symmetrical cam 90 is so shaped that such movement immediately raises the follower as and the plunger 88 in order to increase the tension of the graduating spring, and thus to open the inlet valve it to permit an increase in the pressure in the outlet chamber i2 and in the inlet chambers of the steering gear control valve. The cam Qt may be shaped in anydesired manner in order to vary reservoir would tend tominimize or overcome this condition. .Since the power required to steer the vehicle is at a minimum when the vehicle is moving in substantially a straight line,

. means are provided in the present invention for reducing the pressure of the fluidsupplied to the steering mechanism when the dirigible wheelsare in thi posltion and;. for automatically in.- creasing the pressure as the angle of turn increases, as it has been found thatreciprocation does not occur when {the dirigible wheels are .turned at any substantial angle from the straight ahead position. I

To this end the control mechanism 68 is provided with an inlet chamber ii, an outlet chamher it, a diaphragm chamber 13 and an exhaust chamber it provided with an exhaust conduit Ma. The inlet and outlet chambers are connected by means of a port I5 formed in the, casing, this port being normally closed by an inlet valve 18 provided with a downwardly-extending stem I'lhaving an exhaust valve 'mqatits lower end as shown. A valve spring 19 is interposed between the casing anditheupperlside of the exhaust valve in order. to maintain the inlet the above pressure as required for any particular installation. It will be understood that if desired, the cam may be so proportioned as to control the operation oi the control mechanism 68 so as to entirely cut oil the supply of fluid pressure to the valve mechanism 2? when the parts are in the position shown, and it will also be understood that the cam may be designed so a as to supply full pressure to the valve M as soon as the lever 6 is turned at a slight angle from neutral in either direction. When the lever o is again returned to neutral positiomit will be clear that the tension of the graduating spring will be decreased whereupon the pressure in the valve in" the a above port-closing position. A

flexible diaphragm 80 is carriedby the housing as shown and serves to separatethe'exhaust chamber frdrnthe diaphragm hamber, the latter chamber being connected with the outlet chamber by-means of a restricted port 8!. Thecenter portion of the diaphragm is provided with a tubular valve operating element 82 attachedto the diaphragm as shown and slidably mounted in a bore 83 formed in the casing. The tubular element is provided with a bore 85, the upper end' of this bore being adapted for communication-with the outlet chamber i2 and the lower end being in communication with the exhaust chamher It The operation of the valve operating element 82 is controlled by means of a. graduatins, spring85 interposed between a washer 88 erating'member 81 slidably mounted in the housing, the latter member being provided with a downwardly extending stem 88 having adjustable cam follower-89 threadedly mounted thereon and diaphragm chamber 13' will tend to move the diaphragm downward thus moving the valve element downward to open the exhaust valve to allow the escape of fluid pressure until such time as the pressure acting downward again becomes sufilcient to balance the force of the graduating spring acting in the other direction, whereupon a new condition of balance is established wherein the output pressure of the valve mechanism be is proportional to the tension of the graduating ciprocating condition. The member fit may be readily adjusted to vary the pressure delivered by the valve 68 when the lever t is in neutral posi ,tion. and the shape of the cam 90 may be varied as desired in order that the pressure obtained at .various angles of turn of the lever 6 may be adjusted in accordance with the particular characteristics of the vehicle upon which the power steering mechanism is installed. It will theretion of the system, and to control the applica- -.tion of such reduced pressure to the valve i carried by the tubular member and a valve opmechanism 21. Means have thus been provided for automatically eliminating or minimizing re=- ciprocation or shimmy. while at the same time providing for the maximum power output of the steering mechanism at any angle of turn con-- self-lapping tyD the operation" being similar to *tliaf'shown "and described in the patent to sistent with the shimmy characteristics of the particular vehicle involved.

While one embodiment only has been described and illustrated, it will be readily understood by those'skilled in the art that various changes, substitutions, and rearrangements of the component parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will also be understood that me'chanismin accordance with the principles set forth may be utilized in connection with other forms of power than fluid pressure in order to obtain the same operating characteristics. Reference will, therefore, be had to the appended claims for a definition oi the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a power steering gear for vehicles having apower operated member for steering the'vehicle, a power actuator i'or said member, a manually operable member connected with said power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative thereto, and means controlled by relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of power to said actuator, of power controlling means controlled by movement of one of said members for-limiting the force output of said actuator including means for varying the supply of power to said first named means in accordance with the movement of said one member.

2. The combination with a power steering gear .for vehicles having a power operated member for steering the vehicle, a fluid actuator for said member, a manually operable member connected with said power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative thereto, and means including valve mechanism responsive to relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said actuator, of means for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said valve mechanism including a valve having a connection with one of said members, and operable by movement thereof for varying the pressure of fluid supplied to said valve mechanism in accordance with the movement of said one member.

3. The combination with a power steering gear for vehicles having a power operated member for steering the vehicle, a fluid actuator for said member, a manually operable member connected with said power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative thereto, and means including valve mechanism responsive to relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said actuator, of means for controlling the pressure of fluid supplied to said valve mechanism including a valve for supplying fluid pressure to said valve mechanism, and means including a cam carried by one of said members for operating said valve for varying the pressure of fluid supplied to said valve mechanism in accordance with the movement of said one member.

4. The combination with a power steering gear for vehicles having a power operated member for steering the vehicle, a fluid actuator for said member, a manually operable member connected with said power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative: thereto, and means including valve mechanism responsive to relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said actuator, of means for controlling the pressure of fluid supplied from a source of relatively high pressure to said valve mechanism including a reducing valve, a connection between said reducing valve and mechanism, and means carried by one of said members for operating said reducing valve to vary the pressure of fluid delivered from the source by the reducing valve and to said valve mechanism through said connection in accordance with the movement of said one member..

5. The combination with a power operated steering gear for vehicles having a power operated member having a neutralposition and movable in either direction from neutral position to steer the vehicle in one direction or the other, a fluid actuator for said member, a manually operable member connected with said power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative thereto, and means including valve mechanism responsive to relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said actuator, of auxiliary means for controlling the supply of fluid pressure from a source of relatively high pressure to said valve mechanism including a reducing valve operable to normally supply fluid at a predetermined pressure to the valve mechanism, and means carried by one of said members for operating the reducing valve to supply fluid from said source to said valve mechanism at a pressure greater than said predetermined pressure whenever said one member is moved in either direction from neutral position.

6. The combination with a power steering gear for vehicles having a power operated member having a neutral position and movable in either direction from neutral position to steer the vehicle in one direction or the other, a fluid actuator for said member, a manually operable member connected with said power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative thereto, and means including valve mechanism responsive to relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said actuator, of means for controlling the supply of fluid pressure from a source of relatively high pressure to said valve mechanism including a reducing valve operable to normally supply fluid at a predetermined pressure to the valve mechanism, means for operating said reducing valve to increase the pressure of fluid supplied to said valve mechanism, and a cam carried by one of I said members for actuating said operating means, whereby the pressure of fluid supplied from said source to said valve mechanism by the reducing valve is increased whenever said one member is moved in either direction from neutral position.

7. The combination with a power operated steering gear for vehicles having a power operated member for steering the vehicle, a fluid actuator for-said member, a manually operable member connected with said power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative thereto, and means including valve mechanism responsive to relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said actuator, of means for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said valve mechanism including a valve having a connection with one of said members and operable by movement thereof for varying the pressure of fluid supplied to said valve mechanism in accordance with the movement of said one member, and means, for adjusting the valve to supply the valve mechanism with fluid at a predetermined pressure when said one member is in any selected position.

8. The combination with a power steering gear for a vehicle having a power operated member for controlling the angle of turn of the dirigible wheels of the vehicle, a power actuator for said member, a manually operable member connected with the power operated member and adapted for limited movement relative thereto, and power controlling mechanism responsive to relative movement of said members for controlling the supply of power to said actuator, of means for controlling the supply of power to said control- E. l'ng mechanism including a device operated by "'e of members for varying the amount of power supplied to power controlling mechaaccordance with the angle of turn of the cil'igihle wheels.

9. The combination with a power steering gear for a vehicle having a power operated member movable in opposite directions for steering the vehicle to the right or left of a straight path, a fluid actuator for moving the member in said opposite directions, and means including a movable control member and valve mechanism oper-- ated thereby for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the actuator, of means for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the control valve mechanism including a feed valve having adjusting means and adjustable for supplying fluid to the control valve mechanism at a predetermined pressure, and means controlled by movement of one of said members for varying the adjustment of said feed. valve for correspondingly varying the pressure of fluid, supplied. to said control valve mechanism in with movement of said one member.

10. The combination with a power steering gear for vehicles having a power operated member movable in opposite directions for steering the vehicle to the right or left of a straight path, a power actuator for moving said member in said opposite directions, and means including a movable control member for controlling the euro ply of power to said actuator, of aui iary means joy limiting the force output of so actuator including a device controlled by the 'a Lion of one of said members for limiting the amount of power supplied to the first named means in accorclance with the movement of said one memberl1. ifhe combination with a power steering gear for vehicles having a power operate 1. menu bei' movable in opposite directions lor stee ing the vehicle to the right or left of a straight math, a fluid actuator for moving said in sa l:

opposite directions, and means including a movable control member and control valve mechanism operated thereby for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the actuator, of means for limiting the pressure of fluid supplied to the actuator in accordance with the angle of turn of the vehicle including a control valve actuated by movement of one of said members for correspondingly limiting the pressure of fluid supplied to said actuator by the operation of said control valv mechanism.

12. The combination with a power steering gear for vehicles having a member for steering the vehicle, a power actuator for the member, a control member for controlling the operation of the steering gear having a lost motion connection with the first named member, and means controlled by relative movement of the members for controlling the supply of power to the actuator, of means for controlling the supply of power to the first named means including power controlling means having a connection with one of the members and controlled directly by movement of said one member.

WILFRED A. EATON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,062,485 Turelc Dec. 1, 1936 2,139,391 Tibbetts Dec. 6, 1938 378,980 Schlesinger 1 Mar. '6, 1888 1,835,686 Allen et a1 Dec. 8, 1931 2,3611% Boldt Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PA'I'ENTS Number Country Date 19,980 Great Britain Sept. 23, 1908 181,402 Great Britain June 12, 1922 

